Flower holder



Nov. 1, 1949 w. M. HUCK FLOWER HOLDER Filed Nov. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Wa/lace Mi Huck ATTORNEYS Nov. 1, 1949 w. M. HUCK 2,486,348

FLOWER HOLDER Filed Nov. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN 'v ENTOR.

Wallace M. Huck ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOWER HOLDER Wallace M. Huck, Oldwick, N. J.

Application November 16, 1946, Serial No. 710,332

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to flower holders.

It is a common experience, when flowers are at-' tached to garments and worn, to have the flowers fade and wither in the course of just a few hours to the point where they detract from, rather than enhance the appearance of the wearer. It is the object of the present invention to overcome this difliculty by providing a flower holder, adapted to be worn upon a garment, which includes a water container for supplying the flower or flowers with water to keep them fresh.

To this end it is a feature of the invention that a relatively broad flat water container is provided, and that it is united with securing means, whereby the container may be secured in a substantially upright attitude to a garment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a water container of the kind referred to which is so inexpensive that it may even be discarded after a single use.

In this form of the invention the water container is embraced by a clip which includes a clamping finger extending around a lip of the container, and a pair of offset ears through which an attaching pin may be inserted.

It is a further feature that the clip is provided with an offset tongue whose lower end is displaced to overlie the head of a pin inserted through the attaching ears.

It is a still further feature that the clamping finger is provided with an oifset tongue for exerting spring pressure against a wall of the tube to hold the latter.

In accordance with a further feature a hollow, perforated, deformable plug is provided for retaining water in the container.

In accordance with still another feature a spongy holder is provided in the container for supplying water to the flower but for retaining the water in case the container is overturned.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a novel flower holder which embodies features of the invention, attached to a coat lapel and associated with a flower whose stem is inserted through the buttonhole of the lapel;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the flower holder illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating another form of flower holder embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the flower holder illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in rear elevation of the flower holder illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the flower holder illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of the clip taken upon the line of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the novel flower holder supported in a display base;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the upper end of a container showing a removable plug inserted therein;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the plug of Fig. 9, the plug being shown removed from the container;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the plug of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view in vertical elevation, partly broken away, and broken away intermediate its ends for compactness of illustration, showing a container with a spongy water retainer therein;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal plan view of the holder of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken upon the line I4-l4 of Fig. 12, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a flower I is shown as having its stem 2 inserted through the buttonhole 3 of a coat lapel 3, and carried by a novel flower holder 4. e The flower holder 4 comprises a relatively broad flat tubular member '5 which is desirably of highly polished metal. A closure cap Ex is welded, brazed or soldered to the lower end of the tubular member. The tube thus formed may. for example, be advantageously made of stainless steel or of silver, or of one of the precious metals, or of other lustrous metal or alloy, or it may be made of any suitable base metal and chromium plated. A bent pin 6 is secured, as by solder l, to the tube 4 near the mouth thereof. The pin is adapted to be applied to the lapel 3 of a coat for supporting the tube behind the lapel in a substantially upright attitude. When water has been put into the tube and the flower stem has been inserted, a settable film-forming material such as gelatin, collodion or the like may be introduced on the surface of the water to form a plug 8 to prevent spilling. of the water from the tube especially when the coat is removed and carelessly laid down.

The type of holder above described is com-.

paratively expensive and is intended for repeated use.

The form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive provides a less expensive holder which may be disposed of with the flower. It includes a relatively broad and fiat, one-piece tube 5a which may be made relatively inexpensively of a plastic material such as cellulose acetate. A clip Ill embraces the neck of the tube 5a, the clip comprising a body portion I I and embracing arms I2 and I3. A clamping finger I4 extends upward from the body portion I I and is folded downward to fit around a lip of the tube 5a. The downturned end of the finger has a tongue I5 struck from it whose upper end is free and is displaced forward to bear with spring pressure against the wall of the tube to assist in holding the tube on the clip Ill. The entire clip is formed of resilient sheet metal.

Upper and lower ears I5 and I6 are struck from the body portion II of the clip to extend forwardly therefrom and in parallel relation to one another. The ears are formed with aligned openings through which an ordinary headed pin Il may be inserted for attaching the flower holder to the coat lapel. A guiding ear I8 extends downward from the body portion II of the clip, this ear being curved as best seen in Fig. 3, and having a notch I9 formed in it through which the shank of the pin I! may extend so that it will be steadied and guided by the ear I8.

A tongue 20 having its lower end free is displaced forward from the front wall of the clamping finger I4 to overlie the head of the pin II. The tongue 20, being of resilient material, may be forced aside by the head of the pin as the pin is inserted and springs back over the head to lock it on the clip I0. Instead of the plug 8, a plug 8b of permanent construction, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 may be employed. The plug 8b is desirably composed of rubber or other yieldable material. The plug comprises a top wall 22 having a perforation 23 formed centrally through it. The plug also includes a skirt portion '24 through which the plug may be held frictionally in the tube 5b or, if desired, be permanently secured by suitable cement to the wall of the tube 5b. The wall 22 of the plug 8b takes the form shown in Fig. 9, while the stem 2 of a flower is being inserted. In use the plug hugs the stem tightly to prevent leakage of water from the container 512. A small syringe may be utilized for filling and emptying the container. For performing either of these operations the spout of the syringe is inserted in place of the flower stem through the plug wall 22.

In Figs. 12 to 14 disclosure is made of a container 8c in which a spongy water retainer, composed of two parts 25, is provided. The parts 25 are desirably formed of cellulose sponge or of any other suitable spongy material, and are cemented to the wall of the container 80. The upper ends of the sponge members 25 are rounded to provide a flaring mouth between them for the convenient reception of the flower stem 2. The adjacent faces of the members 25 are inclined slightly toward one another in the upper portions of these spongy members, and normally engage one another at their lower ends. The flower stem 2 can, however, be readily thrust between the members to any depth desired, and will be squeezed and retained in position by the members 25. There should be no unabsorbed water in the container, so that when the container is overturned or laid upon its side, the sponge retains all the water by its characteristic capillary action. The flower is, however, capable of absorbing water from the spongy material.

A convenient means of displaying the flower holders upon a counter is illustrated in Fig. 8. In this figure a block 25 of cork plastic or moldable material, for example, rubber or papier-mach, is'formed snugly to'receive the lower end of a tube 5 or 511, and to support it in upright position. The recess provided for this purpose is designated 26 in the drawing and the block may be set into a base 21.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a flower holder, in combination, an elongated tube, oval in cross-section at its upper end at least, a clip secured to the tube, said clipincluding embracing arms for holding the neck of the tube, a clamping finger extending around a lip of the tube and formed with an offset tongue for exerting spring pressure against the tube wall, and a pair of attaching guides through which a pin may be inserted for attaching the holder to a garment.

2. In a flower holder, in combination, an elongated tube, oval in cross-section at its upper end at least, a clip secured to the tube, said clip including embracing arms for holding the neck'of the tube, a clamping finger extending around a lip of the tube and formed with an offset tongue for exerting spring pressure against the tube wall, and a pair of attaching guides through which a pin may 'be inserted for attaching the holder to a garment, and an offset tongue free at its lower end and displaced to overlie the head of a, pin inserted through said guides.

WALLACE M. I-IUCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 300,762 Butin June 24, 1884 345,794 Master July 20, 1886 596,156 Hansen Dec. 28, 1897 1,074,927 Boye Oct. 7, 1913 1,649,766 Boden Nov. 15, 1927; 1,678,810 Fulper July 31, 1928 1,819,240 Harrison Aug. 18, 1931? 2,218,157 Seidel Oct. 15, 1940 

